Message lifecycle
Every status a message can have, and what moves it on.
status | Meaning | Final? |
|---|---|---|
pending | Accepted and charged; waiting to be handed to the network. | No |
retrying | A handover attempt failed; we're trying again. | No |
sent | The network or mail system accepted it. | No |
delivered | Confirmed: SMS on the handset, email accepted by the recipient's server. | Yes |
failed | Can't be delivered. Refunded if the network refused it outright. | Yes |
bounced | Email only: the address doesn't exist or rejects mail. | Yes |
SMS pending ─► sent ─► delivered
│ └───► failed
├─► retrying ─► sent
└───────────► failed (refunded)
Email pending ─► sent ─► delivered
│ ├───► bounced
└───────────► failed (refunded)Timing
| Step | Typically |
|---|---|
pending → sent | Under a second |
sent → delivered (SMS, phone on) | A few seconds |
sent → delivered (SMS, phone off) | When the phone reconnects, up to the network's validity period |
sent → delivered (email) | Seconds to minutes, when the recipient's server or reader reports back |
We check SMS delivery reports for 24 hours after sending. A message without a final report by then stays sent.
What you're charged
Every message is charged at pending. Only a message that's refused before the network accepts it moves to failed with a refund. One that's sent and later failed or bounced stays charged, because the network charged us. See Pricing.